Memory core matrix with printed windings



y 1965 J. M. BERNSTEIN ETAL 3,196,522

MEMORY CORE MATRIX WITH PRINTED WINDINGS Filed Jan. 6. 1961 INVENTORS Joseph M. Bernslein BY George J. David Affy.

United States Patent 3,196,522 MEMORY CORE MATRIX WITH PRINTED WltNDlNGS Joseph M. Bernstein, liensenville, and George .1. David,

Chicago, Ill., assignors to Automatic Electric Laboratories, Inc., Northlake, Ili., a corporation of Delaware Fiied Jan. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 81,185 2 Claims. (Cl. 29-1555) This invention relates to magnetic devices and more particularly, to magnetic core matrices using printed circuitry.

Copending applications; Method of Producing A Memory Gore Array by Stoehr, Rudolph O. and Liston, John W., Serial No. 51,688 filed August 24, 1960, and Printed Circuitry for Magnetic Matrix by David, George 1., Serial No. 51,746 filed August 24, 1960, and now Patent No. 3,133,270, both having the present assignee disclose core matrices that comprise a plurality of cards having apertures with lips extending therein to secure and support the magnetic cores. The present invention further develops the technique according to these prior applications by the use of cards having apertures and key members having extending fingers to lock the magnetic cores into position. This latter technique discloses a uniquely simple approach to the production of magnetic core matrices.

The primary object of this invention is to reduce the cost of manufacture through simplifying the method of assembling magnetic devices of the general type disclosed herein.

Another object of this invention is to produce a magnetic device which lends itself to greater flexibility and word potential in a memory system.

The disclosure features in general a plurality of fiat insulating members which are stacked together in a manner such that they support a plurality of cores located therein. Printed conductor segments are disposed on the surface of these insulating members in such a manner that the ends of the conductor segments of one member overlap the ends of the conductor segments of an adjacent member and form a continuous electrical winding. These windings extend through and about the cores and conform to patterns determined by the function desired therefrom. Thus, a printed winding between two cards may serve one function, and a printed winding between two other cards may serve another function. Other objects and features of this invention will become apparent from a perusal of the following detailed description.

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the position of the components of a first embodiment of the invention prior to assembly.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the position of the components of a second embodiment prior to assembly.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing the assembled magnetic device according to the first embodiment.

FIGURE 4 is an end view of the assembled device as shown in FIG. 3 showing the pressure blocks and the heating elements contained therein, which are used in the assembly operation.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings, the memory core matrix there shown includes insulating members 1t) and 13, ring cores 12, and printed conductor segments 15. Card is a fiat and rectangular shaped sheet made of insulating material such as a plastic, and having a plurality of rectangular slots or apertures 11. Key member 13 is also made of insulating material and used in combination with card 10. Its configuration is comb shaped with parallel fingers 14 projecting from a common base portion or yoke. The fingers are spaced apart a dis- 3,196,522 Patented July 27, 1965 "ice tance equal to the spacing between the rows of ring cores and are the means used to thread the cores with a conductor. Moreover, when key member 13, for example, is placed against card 11) the cores on the fingers are locked into position and prevented from falling out of the apertures 11.

The aforementioned conductor segments 15 are prefererably solder coated for the reason explained subsequently. The conductor segments are preferably applied to the two different insulating members in the same manner and by any one of a number of processes used in the field of printed circuitry for example, by an etching process. The segments on the key member lie in one direction and those on the card lie in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first-mentioned direction to enable the ends of the segments on one member to contact and overlap with the ends of the segments on the other member and thereby provide a continuous winding between and through the cores. These windings may, for example, serve as a horizontal winding, a vertical winding, or a sense winding to a magnetic core memory.

A preliminarystep of the preferred methodof manufacture may be to place the ring cores 12 into depressions of jig 16. This step temporarily supports the cores as well as arranges them in a matrix pattern.

Next, card 10 is placed over the cores so that the rectangular shaped apertures surround the cores. This is followed by positioning key member 13 parallel with card 10 so that the extending fingers 14 thereof are aligned with the apertures 11 of the magnetic cores 12. Key member 13 is then moved transversely until the fingers 14 extend completely through the array of cores and lie adjacent to card 10. This procedure is followed again until the desired number of cards and key members are stacked together forming substantially a laminated block. The block thusly formed is then subjected to heat and pressure by means of a heat element 17 and a pres sure block 18 shown in FIGURE 4 or similar means so that the solder coating on the printed conductor segments 15 on both insulating members 10 and 13 flows into a continuous winding at points where the segments of one member overlap the segments of an adjacent member. As a result continuous windings are formed and at the same time insulating members 10 and 13 are held in a stacked relationship or a laminated block form and the cores 12 are secured therein. The assembly is then removed from the jig.

A second embodiment of the device, as shown in FIG. 2, uses substantially the same method of manufacture as required with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. According to this embodiment the insulating members all have parallel fingers which project perpendicular to a common base or yoke and conductor segments (not shown) are applied to these fingers by printed circuit techniques, so that conductor segments carried by one insulating member are completed by conductor segments of an adjacent card.

The magnetic ring cores 12 according to this embodiment may he slipped over the extending fingers of insulating member 13 and locked into position through the placement of insulating member 19 adjacent to it. Therefore, the fingers on one key member extend through the core apertures and thereby thread a conductor segment through them, and the fingers of an adjacent insulating member extend alongside the cores; the combination thereof provides complete securernent of the cores and also the necessary electrical winding. This arrangement may be suitable in certain applications where more uniformity in the shape of the insulating. members is desirable.

This invention has been described in detail, however,

it is understood that the present disclosure has been made a only by Way'of exampletand numberous changes in the. detail and structure may be made without departing),

from the scope of my invention as hereinafter claimed.

The features relating to the apparatus disclosed herein are claimed in a copending divisional applicationfSeria l No. 428,365 filed January 27, 1 965. tWhat is claimed is: 7

i 1. The method of producing 'a magnetic *memory de vice comprising a plurality of magnetic ring cores and comprising a pair of relativelytflat insulating members, at

s aid cores, and (3): stacking said two'insulating members one immediately on top of the other so, that said cores are locked in position in said slots and. said conductor segments are formed'into continuous windings extending through and between said cores. V

. 2. The methodas claimed in claim 1 wherein said I other insulating member is in the form of a card, wherein least one of said members being substantially in the form v of a comb having a base portion and a plurality of fingers 7 extending from said portion to carry said cores and the other insulating member having a plurality of parallel slots, said method comprising the steps of (-1) applying conductorsegments along the fingers of said comb-shaped member and applying other conductor-segments to the other insulating'mernber in a direction substantially perpendicular to the conductor segments on said fingers and parallel to said slots, 2) assembling said cores with respect to saidvfingers with said fingers'extending' through" said slots are in the form of rectangular openings in said card, and wherein the spacing of said fingers corresponds to the spacing of said slots in a direction lengthwise 2,985,948 4 5/671 Peters 29-4555 WHITMORE A. 'WILTZ, Primary E et. JOHN F. BURNS, JOHNV'FQCAMPBELL, Examiners. 

1. THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A MAGNETIC MEMORY DEVICE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF MAGNETIC RING CORES AND COMPRISING A PAIR OF RELATIVELY FLAT INSULATING MEMBERS, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID MEMBERS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE FORM OF A COMB HAVING A BASE PORTION AND A PLURALITY OF FINGERS EXTENDING FROM SAID PORTION TO CARRY SAID CORES AND THE OTHER INSULATING MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL SLOTS, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (1) APPLYING CONDUCTOR SEGMENTS ALONG THE FINGERS OF SAID COMB-SHAPED MEMBER AND APPLYING OTHER CONDUCTOR SEGMENTS TO THE OTHER INSULATING MEMBER IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE CONDUCTOR SEGMENTS ON SAID FINGERS AND PARALLEL TO SAID SLOTS, (2) ASSEMBLING SAID CORES WITH RESPECT TO SAID FINGERS WITH SAID FINGERS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CORES, AND (3) STACKING SAID TWO INSULATING MEMBERS ONE IMMEDIATELY ON TOP OF THE OTHER SO THAT SAID CORES ARE LOCKED IN POSITION IN SAID SLOTS AND SAID CONDUCTOR SEGMENTS ARE FORMED INTO CONTINUOUS WINDINGS EXTENDING THROUGH AND BETWEEN SAID CORES. 